The surf I'm missing.

Pic by the gun-slinging Mark Mekenas.

I need a surfboard in Honolulu...

Can anybody help me out?

I'm going to be in Oahu for work from Sunday to Wednesday and was hoping to rent a board while I'm there. Would love to get some dawn patrols and evening sessions in. Honestly, I don't even know where I'll be surfing but it'll probably be within walking/paddling distance from the Embassy Suites Beach Walk in Waikiki, where I'm staying.

If anyone in Honolulu would like to hook up and make $50-$100 by lending me a board, I'd be incredibly stoked and grateful.

Thanks and happy holidays,
Rick

BACK TO THE VAQ

I finally got out again a couple weeks ago and went for it on my 7'0 Vaquero De Las Olas. It's pretty much a perfect surfboard for The C*ve. Just point it in the right direction and it does most of the work. I'd love to ask Andreini why it seems to go the exact right speed for the wave. Like a magnet to the pocket. Perfect for a lazy daddio like me.

When I was out there, a nice chum named J.J. paddled over and we chatted a while. He mentioned that Andreini was making a line of less expensive sticks called "Poor Boys." That would explain the clear board I was jonesing for on the rack in Santa Barbara several months ago with the pricetag of $575, new. Yippee kai yay!

Tacklebusters

The Neslcott Reef contest went off yesterday—paddle only. Sounds like an amazing event and I'm glad they decided to forgo the jetskis (except to get to the lineup). I'm hoping to see better pictures and videos soon! Full report HERE. Thanks, Slim.

Now I wonder what went down at the Yeti...

RIP, ANDY IRONS

Crisis Machine

For some guys it's a red Hummer or a convertible Corvette. Should I ever have a midlife crisis, my whip of choice would look something like this.

Baptized Again

I don't know how I pulled it off. But there I was, sitting in crystal clear water, feeling the swells pass underneath me. Me and a few friends sitting on the glass-like ocean. The surf wasn't huge, but it was perfect for the state I was in. My first wave was the best. Shoulder-high, leftward reeling, fast, long, forgiving. I could just go from top to bottom to top to bottom until it let me out.

When I kicked out and paddled back to where the guys were sitting I looked down through the clear water at the ocean floor eight feet below, dunked my face in and wished I could drink it all.

Disney Girls

I'M BLUE

A year ago, some very nice people from the Japanese surf magazine Blue visited my home and studio. They asked me lots of nice questions and took some pictures of my artwork and my surfboards. I can't really remember what I said and I can't read the article, but the result looks pretty cool. The article also features Northern Oregon artist/surfers Giles Neale, Yasmina Dedijer-Small, and Alberto Cuadros (who is sadly back in Frisco).

If you blow up the second page, you can see Family 1.0, hanging on the front porch at a time when I could actually claim to be a surfer. Watch out Oregon surf. I'll be back.

Many Rivers to Cross

But I can't seem to find my way over. So I made these with chopstick wrappers as I waited for my hamachi kama to arrive.

Tess

Here she is.

Hard not to be inspired by this...

Feels like "Go Forth" meets The Streets, with amazing, amazing waves and camera work. Check out the moment when he touches the dolphin...

I.O.U. an Explanation

My posts have really dropped off. Suffice to say, circumstances the last couple months have made it tough to surf, let alone write about surfing.

And now I have a baby due next week, so I'm staying close to home.

My stoke is still as strong as ever, but really breaking down the whole surf experience without actually doing it is nothing short of torturous. Maybe it works for some people, but for me it just feels like being starved and looking at a menu all day.

But I'm still going to keep Sissyfish alive. I'm going to try and post something, anything, a few times a week. I have tons of old drawings and pics that I can just throw up here, so at least you won't continue to arrive at a blog with the same stupid Beer post again and again.

Please, keep me on your blogroll.

Rick

COLD BEER

One of my favorite bits of copywriting. Two words that when placed side-by-side are pretty hard to resist.

Don't Give Up...

July was one hell of a month.
The seas of life got pretty rough.
But August started with some waves.
A sign that things are moving in a much better way.

Don't give up the ship.

Not Your Mama's Volvo

Why schlep it to Spot X when you can drive it? Save your calories for the paddle-out.

Good News/Bad News

The good news is that we found your phone. The bad news is—and let me refresh your memory—that it was on the floor of the Sandy Hut at 3am.

I love the chipper "Have a great day!" at the end, as if there was some possibility that the recipient in question wouldn't be completely destroyed. Proof that there are still decent people in Portland. Thank you, reifink, wherever you are.

Captain America

Rainbow

Turn up the volume. This is pure, unfiltered rainbow stoke.